Global Witness has strongly condemned the move by the UK government to proscribe as a terrorist organisation the protest group Palestine Action.
Classifying Palestine Action as terrorists sets a dangerous precedent for democracy and the right to protest, the international investigative campaigning organisation has said.
Global Witness campaign lead Ana Caistor Arendar said:
“The move to proscribe the group Palestine Action is to be condemned, especially as there are already ample routes within the criminal justice system to prosecute those accused of offences. It is a misuse of the law that sets a dangerous precedent for the public’s democratic right to protest.
“However inconvenient the government thinks they might be, protest groups are a vital part of democracy in the UK. Under Yvette Cooper’s application of the act, the Suffragettes would likely be proscribed as terrorists.
“Human rights experts are calling what is happening in Gaza a clear case of genocide. MPs should be less focused on outlawing those raising awareness of the situation – whether they are protesters, musicians or artists – and more concerned with ensuring that the UK is not legally complicit in the unfolding horror.”
Yesterday MPs voted in favour of legislation to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, passing by 385 votes to 26.
Global Witness, which monitors attacks on land and environmental defenders globally, said the proscription should be viewed as part of the wider move to criminalise protest, which has seen people jailed for peaceful actions.
Ana Caistor Arendar continues:
“Under this government, we have seen the increased arrest and imprisonment of non-violent climate activists, an unprecedented police raid on a Quaker meeting house, and a complete refusal to repeal draconian anti-protest legislation that Labour previously stood against.
“The UK’s crackdown is part of a sickening trend around the world where those on the frontline of environmental defence are paying the price. Whether it is protest criminalisation in the UK or Amazonian defenders being targeted, states must address the root causes for protest rather than repressing those brave enough to speak up.”